Medicinal extract of aperient drugs.



' RUDOLF TAMBACH, or LUDWIG-SHAFEN-ON-TI-IE-RHINE, G MAN assienon. ro-ran AND COMPANY, or LUDWIGSHAFEN-oN-rHE-nHIN ,GERMANY.

i moved from action of the drugs aloe,

" i an FIRM 0F KNOLL MEDICINAL EXTRACT 0F APERIENT DRUG S.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concem Be 'it known that I, RUDOLPH chemist, a subject of the German Emperor, residing at Ludwigshafen-on-the- Rhine, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Medicinal Extracts of Aperient Drugs, of which the following is a specification. c

Extracts of rhubarb, senna leaves, aloe and similar materials are known, which are prepared by extracting the drugs in question'with alcohol, with or without an addition of glycerin or the like and concentration. These form the so-called complete extracts, which contain all the constituents of the drug that are extractable by alcohol. Now a great portion of this sort of extracts consists of'other substances, known as ballast substances, the presence of which prevents on the one hand the rapid assimila tion of the active substances and on the other hand is likely to set up undesirable subsidiary reactions, which frequently forbid. their use particularly with sensitive persons and with invalids as a rule. For this reason search has repeatedly been made for purified extracts which shall be free from chlorophyll, pectin substances, soluble vegetable albumen, sugar and inorganic. salts, the presence of which favors the growth of vegetable microiirganisms and is capable besides of acting destructively upon the desired substances. Extracts of this kind are particularly valuable, when drugs are employed, from which it has not hitherto been possible to isolate all the active substances.

-'Io this class belong the aperient drugs,

such as rhubarb, cascara bark, senna leaves, aloe, buckthorn bark. .Tschirch, (Uhem. 'e'ntmlbl, 1904, I, 1666), assumes, that the rhubarb, buckthorn and senna leaves depends upon the amount of oxymethylanthraquinone, which they contain. The substances of this composition extracted therefrom have not, however, been able to displace the drug's themselves, and their extract has always been resorted to again. i

It has now been tion of the ballast substances can be re the alcoholic extracts of the above drugs by treatment with ether. The

solutions obtained by thistreatment are com v Specification of Letters latent. Application filed July 29,1909. Serial No. 510,278,

TAMBAGH, 4

-is extracted twice with 5 found, that a great pereasement. a, aeie.

centrated and adjusted to a fixed strength of action with milk sugar. orsome other suitable vehicle.

Example I: 1 kilogram of rhubarb is extra-cted twice with 5 liters of alcohol each time, and the extract either immediately or afterbeing concentrated treated with ether, as long as a precipitate is produced. This precipitate is filtered ofi', the clear solution freed from ether and spirit by distillation and the residue made up to a fixed weight with milk sugar. In this way a yellow powder, not completely soluble in water,

but very easily soluble in' dilute alkali with a deep red color, is obtained and which does not upset the stomach and is very easily absorbed in'the intestines.

of cascara bark liters of alcohol each time and then treated as in'Example I. The product obtained by this treatment likewise forms a'yellow powder insoluble in water and in dilute acids, but'soluble in alkalis with a light red color.

Example III: 1 kilogram'of senna leaves is extracted twice with 5'liters of alcohol each time, after which the extracts are concentrated and treated with ether. After the Example II: 1 kilogram precipitates thereby produced have beenrei moved, the solutions are again highly. concentrated, then treated with petroleum ether to remove the chlorophyll and finally evaporating to dryness and mixed with milk sugar.

There remalns behind a yellow powderinsoluble in water and dilute acids,-b11t soluble in alkalis with a yellow color. The product obtained from senna is the preferred one and its production is distinguished by the following physical and. chemical properties: The aqueous extract of the product does not reduce Fehlings solution nor assume any coloration on shaking with ether. Addition of ammonia to the etheric solution yields a precipitate with sulfuric acid and also with acetate of lead, and on evaporation yields a residue soluble in concentrated sulfuric acid and producing a dark colored solution, a

' drop of which when poured into water and supersaturated with ammonia produces a muddy green color.

obtained from sen'na and insoluble in water is soluble in alcohol" with a dark color and is capable of separation The part of theproduct from such solution bv acids, the said part being moreover insoluble in glacial acetic acid, and sparingly soluble in alcohol, benzene and other inert solvents.

Example TV: 1 kilogram of, aloe is ex-,

traced twice with 5 liters of alcohol each time. The alcoholic extracts, after being concentrated, are treated with ether, and the solutions after being separated from the pre cipitates formed are filtered, evaporated to dryness and mixed With milk sugar. Buckhorn bark may be treated in the same Way. Instead of ethyl alcohol other alcohols or solvents of a similar nature such as methylalcohol and acetone may be used, and instead of ether, petroleum ether or some similar precipitants may be employed.

What I claim is 1. The process for the manufacture of purified extracts of aperient drugs, the active constituents of Which belong to the class of oxymethyl-anthraquinones and Which on the extraction of the drug With alcohol'are soluble Without alteration, Which consists in preparing an alcoholic extract from the same, treating the extract With ether as long as a precipitate is formed, concentrating the same by evaporation, and adding a suitable diluent, suiiicient in quantity to obtain the desired strength, substantially as described.

memeo sugar to obtain the desired strength, sub- L stantially as described.

As a new product, an extract of an aperient drug, Whose active constituent belongs to the class of oxymethyl-anthraquinones and is obtainable in the manner described, the said extract containing almost the Whole of the active constituents in unaltered condition free from most of the superfluous other constituents and being diluted-With milk sugar in any desired proportion.

Tn testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

' DR. RUDOLF TAMBACH. Witnesses:

H. TAEGER, ERNEST lL. IVES. 

